…in juicy black fruits in the Isla Rose. Berberis xanthoclada Berberis xanthoclada Berberis subacuminata (FMWJ 1329) with fruits also just turning black. Berberis subacuminata Callicarpa dichotoma just coming into flower…

…it is in August. Fuchsia and Echium seedlings The evergreen Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ is excellent as well. Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’ Garrya…

…nearly over. Campanula rotundifolia Centauria scabiosa, Greater Knapweed, which seems brown in bud unlike ours at Caerhays which has black surrounds to the bud. Perhaps this is Scabiosa jacea, Brown…

…surprising white with, I admit, a blackish velvety stem. Wrongly named? No idea as it is entirely new to me and not in any reference book. Magnolia ‘Black Velvet’ Magnolia…

…– flowers fade rapidly from red to pink. Saxifraga ‘Black Ruby’ Saxifraga ‘Black Ruby’ Libertia caerulescens – a very late flower with seed pods. Libertia caerulescens Sarcocca wallichii – no…

…shop. daffodils Fine colours too on Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ just before the leaves fall. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ The squirrels are munching out the bigger acorns from the…

…recent cold up country and snow in the Midlands.Saxifraga ‘Black Ruby’ looking good in flower. Saxifraga ‘Black Ruby’ Saxifraga ‘Black Ruby’ Helleborus ‘Annas Red’ just coming out. A fine batch…

…a small rounded flower. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x ‘Deep Purple Dream’ Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Titan’ – first flowering and not quite what I…

…edging to the petals as you would expect from a Ruby. Planted 2015. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Pickards Ruby’ Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ x Magnolia ‘Pickards Ruby’ Magnolia dawsoniana ‘Chindit’…

…a quite extraordinary colour. Rhododendron dichroanthum ssp. scyphocalyx (F6761) Rhododendron ‘Award’. Rhododendron ‘Award’ Rhododendron ‘Black Magic’. Rhododendron ‘Black Magic’ Rhododendron ‘Glebe’s Surprise’ – there are very few double flowered rhodos…

…‘Black Lace’ Sambucus niger ‘Black Lace’ Picea pungens ‘Glauca Globosa’ and Sambucus niger ‘Black Lace’. Picea pungens ‘Glauca Globosa’ Arisaema consanguineum Arisaema consanguineum Arisaema consanguineum and Calamagrotis x acutiflora ‘Karl…

…Hillier’ showing a little more pink than usual. Magnolia campbellii ‘Sir Harold Hillier’ Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’ – excellent! Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’ Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x ‘Black Tulip’…

…years and they seen to develop a black fungal infection in the main trunk. Two others nearby are about to go the same way. Snakebark maple The Exochorda are romping…

…very fine in the sun but I think the flowers are (so far) smaller than usual this year. Magnolia ‘Lois’ Rhododendron desquamatum and Magnolia x brooklynensis ‘Black Beauty’ cut for…

…the Rookery are Ilex kingiana. Nobbles on the trunks, a black hue to this year’s new growth and two year old stems developing a light brown ‘woody’ covering. Ilex kingiana…

…‘Black Tulip’ with five flowers. This one the best with least wind damage. Very good indeed! Magnolia ‘Vulcan’ x Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ First flowers (three) on Magnolia ‘Kitti Wake’ of…

…of Magnolia ‘Rose Marie’ x ‘Black Tulip’. Magnolia ‘Black Tulip’ After all last week’s excitement over the Cephalotaxus fortunei I thought I would have a look at the related species….

…it in New Zealand. Is this darker or better than the equally popular Magnolia ‘Black Tulip? Clearly ‘Genie’ is going to be a much smaller growing magnolia than ‘Black Tulip’…

…‘Black Beauty’ still in bud is darker (in bud) than ‘Genie’ or ‘Black Tulip’. MAGNOLIA ‘Sunray’ Magnolia ‘Sunray’ is not as poor as I thought 10 days ago and has…

…utilis ‘Chris Lane’: Black – big white calcocils Betula utilis dark form: Black – small white calcocils Betula utilis ‘Melony Sanders’: Very red peeling stem Camellia bailinshanica: Red new growth…